February 23, 2009
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Events

Seedy Saturday Toronto 2009

Photo by Gayla Trail All Rights Reserved

The best gardening event of the year, Seedy Saturday Toronto is coming up this week! This year it’s in a new venue and at a new time, which should be interesting. Once again I will have a table and will be selling my wares. We’ll be debuting a new t-shirt that I know you’ll love. I’ll also have some of my own surplus seeds to trade.

See you there!

When: Saturday February 28, 2009

from 2:00 pm until 6:00 pm

Where: Artscape Wychwood Barns (Barn #2), 601 Christie St., Toronto

If you’re looking for a Seedy Saturday in your area check out the listings on the Seeds of Diversity site.

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February 23, 2009
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Daily Botanical

Centaurea Macrocephala and Halictid Bee

Photo by Gayla Trail All Rights Reserved

Amazing, flower and bee don’t you think? I took this picture last July on a walk through the Annex neighbourhood in Toronto. This front yard garden was filled with the yellow thistle-like plant, Centaurea macrocephala and covered in flittering, shiny green bees — they were completely intoxicated by the flowers! I stood watching them in awe for several minutes.

Back at home I did some research and it turns out that the green bees are members of The Family Halictidae of which there are more than 2000 species. I haven’t got a clue which one this is.

This situation with the flowers and bees illustrates one of the things I love about gardening. In general, my love of gardening has lead me to be more observant of the gardens and plants I pass by in my day-to-day world. And this has lead me to an expanding interest in critters that live in the garden, like this bee. I had never noticed green bees before and probably never would have if not for my interest in the plants. Discovering them via the flowers motivated me to find out what they were and learn more beyond pretty, green bee.

Gardening makes me smarter. I is learning stuff.

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